I've always wanted to watch the original series of Gundam. When I was hardcore into anime I watched a bunch of movies and made-for-video Gundam stuff. My Japanese friends would go on and on about how great the original was, though. Plus, it was obvious that this newer stuff was just cashing in on a legacy.

When I lived in Japan Gundam was being replayed on cable. I caught a number of episodes and liked it a bunch, but they were random. Gundam was released in the US, but only with English voices. It was released in Japan on DVD, but only for a couple thousand dollars.

So what's a guy to do? Well, I decided to pick up the comic adaptation. Expect this entry to be updated with some pseudo-psychological drivel about a new generation of mankind.

4/27
Done. No psychological mumbojumbo here.

Mankind has expanded to space stations orbiting earth, Sides. A revolution has broken out with the separatist Zions trying to leave the Union. Zion zaku mobile suits (piloted robots) scout out Side 7, still under construction. It's rumored that the Union has a new mobile suit...

A battle breaks out. During the confusion, Amuro Rei, son of the designer of the new suit, jumps in the cockpit of Gundam unit 02, one of the new experimental mobile suits. He destroys two zaku and in the confusion his father and other workers appear to be sucked out into space?

The people of Side 7 are evacuated onto the White Base space ship, which had just come back from maneuvers. White Base prepares to take off before Side 7 implodes. But just outside is a Zion ship commanded by the infamous Char. Char is hell bent on salvaging this mission. He won't let his comrades blame the loss of 5 zaku mobile suits on his youth.

Volume 1 comes to a close with Amuro out in space protecting White Base from attack. Meanwhile, Char is launching in his special, red mobile suit. White Base's wounded commander recognizes him and cries out for everyone to flee!